


Take My Hand

by luckybyun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12401538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckybyun/pseuds/luckybyun
Summary: Being a single parent can be pretty complicated.





	Take My Hand

**Author's Note:**

> *A/N: taking this from aff and publishing it on here!

Kyungsoo never expected for it to be this late, but now it's already seven in the evening and he's sprinting down the sidewalk. He suddenly regrets taking the extra shift, not realizing how dark it was going to be outside once he was finished. His lungs are burning as they breathe in the cold air and Kyungsoo wonders if Miyoung is bundled up in her jacket like he told her to do this morning.

Once Kyungsoo runs around the corner, he can see the small dance studio up ahead. The young man breathes a sigh of relief when he sees two figures standing in front of the building, one of them being Miyoung and the dance instructor right beside her.

"I'm really sorry," Kyungsoo says apologetically. Arms automatically wrap themselves around his shoulders and he hoists the little girl into his arms. "I wasn't expecting for my shift to be that long. I'll pay extra for making you stay two more hours—"

"Don't worry about it, Kyungsoo," The young, petite woman smiles, "Since Miyoung was being a good little girl, I'll be happy to take care of her so you can finish work."

"You don't have to—"

"It's perfectly fine. The money isn't the issue that concerns me. I'm just glad Miyoung is able to attend her class without having any problems."

Kyungsoo only smiles and tells Miyoung to thank the instructor before heading home. The heavy burden never leaves him when he reaches the apartment. Even with the dance instructor's constant reassurances that staying with Miyoung for an extra hour was nothing to be sorry for, he can't help but feel guilty that so many people are giving up their time just to take care of her.

Miyoung is already fast asleep, cheek rested against his left shoulder while squeezing onto him tightly. He tries to put her to bed without waking her up, grabbing her dance shoes and duffel bag and tucking it into the closet.

With Miyoung asleep, Kyungsoo has enough time to finish his assignments and start working on dinner. He silently groans when he sees the empty contents in the refrigerator, sticking with top ramen for yet another night. But he didn't get the chance to eat breakfast or lunch, so once he takes the first bite, he suddenly sees the joy in having a full stomach. He knows he shouldn't be complaining; the landlord was kind enough to allow him to rent the apartment at half of what the other tenants are paying, even bringing them small containers of food when she's not busy with work. Like before, guilt covers him like a thick blanket, pressing against his chest and suffocating his lungs. He hates that feeling; it makes Kyungsoo feel desperate and hopeless, like he has no capability of supporting his daughter.

The small pot of ramen is eaten within minutes and quickly washed and placed away to dry. Kyungsoo walks back to the dining table and groans when he sees the stack of college textbooks and assignments waiting for him to finish. So much work and deadlines due, yet it never seems to end.

Three hours and four cups of black coffee later, Kyungsoo is on the verge of passing out. He forces his eyes open while reading an article assigned by his professor, scanning through the complex structures but not allowing the words to sink in. He rubs his tired eyes with the back of his hand and yawns. Sleep was the last thing on his mind. There were essays to finish and bills to pay and he can't have any distractions—

"Dad?"

Kyungsoo looks up from his paper and sees Miyoung standing in front of the bedroom door, still in her pink tutu for dance. He sets down his pencil, "Miyoung, it's late. You should go back to bed."

"When are you going to sleep?"

He really doesn't know. "I'll be there soon. Just go ahead. I have some things to finish, so don't worry about me."

Miyoung ignores his words and runs up to him, climbing into his lap and resting her head against his shoulder.

If only she didn't get her stubbornness from her father. Kyungsoo sighs, but holds her in his arms while finishing the rest of his papers. He listens to her steady breathing, hands automatically running through the back of her hair.

He makes a mental note to set his alarm clock an hour earlier while cleaning up the stack of papers and stuffing it into his bag. Kyungsoo carries Miyoung into the bedroom and sets her down gently on the mattress, quickly changing her dancing attire to her favorite set of pajamas. He sinks down on the edge of the bed; his aching muscles are screaming for him to rest, so he does, wrapping his arms around his daughter and falling asleep in a matter of seconds.

 

\---

 

"So how are you and Miyoung holding up?" Baekhyun asks, glancing over at the little girl coloring the small worksheet the restaurant offered while they waited for their meal to arrive.

The younger male shrugs and picks up a red crayon when it rolls off the table and onto the floor, "We're okay, I guess. I mean, Miyoung still wants to take dancing lessons and she's been doing really well in school."

Baekhyun rests his chin in the palm of his hands, "Her birthday's almost coming up."

"I know," Kyungsoo smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind Miyoung's ear, "I can't believe she's already turning six this year."

"Are you making any plans for her birthday?"

The younger bites his bottom lip and slowly shakes his head, "I'm still not sure."

With so many bills to pay and work to finish, Kyungsoo's not even sure if he can even hold a proper party for Miyoung. The thought of not celebrating Miyoung's birthday with friends and family has guilt sinking into the pit of his stomach. It's not everyday that a person is turning six.

"Chanyeol and I can come over if you need any help," Baekhyun grins at Miyoung and pats the top of her head, but the small child is too immersed in her coloring book to even notice.

The waitress comes by with their orders, setting down drinks and plates of greasy fast food before checking up on another table.

Once the check is placed in front of them, Kyungsoo lunges for it, but Baekhyun snatches it a second earlier, placing his credit card in the slot and handing it back to the server.

"Baekhyun," Kyungsoo hisses, "I told you I was going to pay for it."

The older shrugs his shoulders, "I got the bill first."

"I was the one who invited you out. At least let me pay—"

"Soo, it's alright. You don't have to worry about the money. It's on me," Baekhyun says reassuringly. He knows about Kyungsoo's financial struggles even when the latter insists it was nothing. Baekhyun can't even count the number of times he offered Kyungsoo extra cash only to have his best friend refuse to take anything.

"I promise I'll pay you back. I'm getting my paycheck tomorrow, so I'll give it to you the next time we meet up."

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's fine. Pretend it's an early birthday present for Miyoung or something."

Kyungsoo glances back down at the table, his hands placed in the middle of his lap before he mumbles a quiet "Thank you".

 

\---

 

"Kyungsoo?"

The brunet excuses himself from the table he was serving and follows the manager to the back of the kitchen. Questions fill the back of his head and he wants to ask if there was anything wrong, but before he could open his mouth, the manager stops and turns around to face Kyungsoo.

"I'm really sorry to say this, but... I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go."

It takes a second to let those words sink in. Kyungsoo blinks, his face growing pale, "You're firing me?"

The manager nods his head, avoiding eye contact and choosing to stare at the floor instead, "I'm so sorry, Kyungsoo, but you've been late with your shift over ten times and we can't allow a person like that to work with us—"

"You don't understand," Kyungsoo pleads, "I need this job more than anything else. You can even cut my pay in half, just please let me keep this job."

Tears are already streaking down his cheeks and he wipes it away with the back of his hand. The manager grabs him on the shoulder and squeezes comfortingly, "I'll give you your final paycheck tonight."

Not one person at the back of the kitchen is willing to look at him in the eye. They all avoid him, and he feels completely alone.

He clutches onto the envelope containing his last paycheck and hurries home. He missed the bus earlier, so Kyungsoo has no choice but to walk back to the dance studio where Miyoung was waiting.

Kyungsoo is too upset to even notice where he was walking and his shoulder collides against a total stranger, the man's duffel bag falling to the ground and the items spilling out of the open zipper.

The brunet stops, "I-I'm sorry." He bends down to help pick up anything he could find, his fingers shaking as he clutches onto an old pair of sneakers. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine," The stranger mumbles and takes it out of Kyungsoo's hand. He stuffs everything back inside his bag, the strap rested against his shoulder. The man pauses when he sees Kyungsoo's bloodshot eyes and swollen cheeks, "Are you alright?"

Kyungsoo nods, quickly wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, "Yeah. Sorry for bumping into you."

He walks away without looking back, his chest overwhelmed with guilt and desperation. Kyungsoo needed to figure something out fast. Because time was slowly running out, and at the end of the day, Kyungsoo will eventually end up with nothing.

 

\---

 

Most of the children are already grabbing their things, saying goodbye to their new dance instructor before running to their parents.

Once the dance studio is empty, Jongin breathes a sigh of relief. Having so many children — especially girls — can be tiring; even the mothers were casually flirting with him, not that he was interested in them.

But now he had the entire room all to himself and Jongin wants to cry out in joy. Although it was fun to teach young children how to dance, being able to do it by himself with no one bothering him was the best part. He changes his MP3 player into a new song and the bass thumps through the speakers, his heart beating along to the music before his body begins to move on its own.

The sun was already beginning to set when Jongin grabs his keys and locks the door shut, tugging at it one last time just to make sure it didn’t open. The strap of his duffel bag hangs over his shoulder and he takes a deep breath, the evening air feeling cool against his sweaty skin.

When he takes the first step down the stairs, he notices a small figure sitting at the bottom. She was a little girl, still dressed in her pink tutu and her hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Jongin immediately notices her as one of his students.

“Miyoung?” He says out loud and said girl turns around when she hears her name being called out. Seeing that it was her dance teacher, she smiles brightly at him and waves.

Jongin hurries down the steps, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was with Miyoung. He looks down at her, “What are you still doing here? It’s getting really late.”

She kicks a small pebble sitting beside her foot and shrugs, “I’m still waiting for my dad.”

“He’s not here yet?”

Miyoung shakes her head and Jongin’s heart sinks a little when she gives a small pout. The dance instructor glances at his watch. He actually had plans later that evening with a couple of friends, but seeing how one of his students was going to be alone, he figured he should cancel it and wait with her for the night.

“Do you want me to wait with you?” Jongin asks. Even if she said no, he would still stand with her until someone arrives. Who knows how many old perverted males could be lurking about at this time.

She nods and scoots over to the right, giving him extra space to sit at the bottom step.

It actually felt nice to just sit and relax, watching the world pass by in a swirl of moving colors. Jongin never really noticed the flashing neon signs or the different shops lined down the street, too busy with school and dancing to even realize how pretty the city actually was.

Jongin glances over at Miyoung, “Do you always sit here and wait for your dad?”

“Yeah,” She says quietly. Jongin watches her as she glances around, trying to search for her dad in the middle of the bustling crowd but failing to find the right person.

“Don’t you get scared?”

The young girl shrugs her shoulders, “A little.”

Jongin feels something twinge in the back of his chest. How could a person leave their daughter to sit by herself in the middle of the city? He reminds himself to have a small talk with Miyoung’s father when he comes to pick her up.

Suddenly, Miyoung stands up from the bottom step, eyes widening with joy, “Dad!”

Jongin stands up beside her as well. He dusts the dirt off of the back of his jeans and squints his eyes towards the crowd, “Where is he? I don’t see him—”

“Miyoung!” The man comes up and grabs the little girl by the waist, bringing her into his arms and pecking her on the cheek. “Are you okay? Did you talk to any strangers?”

“No,” She shakes her head, “But my dance teacher waited with me.”

Miyoung’s father turns to Jongin and the latter scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment. He seems familiar, Jongin thinks to himself, but he chooses to smile and nod, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“You’re her dance teacher?” The man asks, “I thought Ms. Lee was the instructor.”

“She transferred to another studio,” Jongin says nervously, “So I took over about a few days ago.”

“Oh,” The shorter man's cheeks turn into a light shade of pink and he stares down at the floor, “Well, thank you for looking after Miyoung. You didn’t have to.”

“No, it’s alright. I didn’t want to leave her alone and I didn’t have any plans anyway,” Jongin reassures him, “But I was scared for her, to be honest. It was pretty late until you showed up.”

The brunet smiles weakly, “I’m really sorry about that. I got caught up with some things along the way.”

Miyoung lets out a soft yawn, head leaning against the man’s shoulder. Hours of dancing and waiting has sucked all of the energy out of her.

“It’s getting late,” The shorter male mumbles. He bends over and picks up Miyoung’s backpack, slinging it over his shoulder and politely bowing his head towards the dance instructor, “Thank you for taking care of her. It really means a lot to me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jongin says, “I’ll wait with her if she’s by herself again. I don’t want her to get hurt by someone or anything like that.”

“You don’t have to.”

“No, I want to,” The dance instructor rubs the back of his neck again, “She’ll be safe. I’ll let her stay in the dance studio until you come pick her up.”

The brunet smiles and nods his head, “Thank you. It was nice meeting you—”

“Wait,” Jongin stops him, grabbing onto the shorter’s wrist, surprised at how small and frail it was compared to his own. In fact, when he looks at the man more closely, he can see the dark circles underneath his eyes and his sunken-in cheeks. He looks as if he hasn't eaten in days.

Ignoring his earlier thought, Jongin clears his throat, “You look kinda familiar. Have we meet before?”

He watches as the other male bites his bottom lip. After a few seconds, realization finally dawns on him, the corner of his heart-shaped lips curving up into a soft smile, “Oh, I remember you. We ran into each other a few nights ago.”

Memories of picking up his dropped items and seeing a pair of red, swollen eyes flashes in the back of his head. He remembers now. The man had been crying, too distracted to even notice where he was walking. Jongin gives a weak grin, “Small world, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” The shorter male laughs quietly. Miyoung starts slipping out of his grasp and he hoists her up again, “Um, I really should get going. Sorry about today… and for last time too.”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad I was able to meet Miyoung’s dad for the first time… I’m Jongin, by the way.”

“Do Kyungsoo.”

Jongin repeats it quietly, the name rolling off his tongue and giving him a pleasant feeling. They both part ways after a few awkward smiles and quiet thank-you’s and Jongin secretly hopes they would be able to see each other again more often.

 

\---

 

For the next week, Jongin finds himself sitting beside Miyoung after every dance session. She sits patiently at the bottom step, looking around in search of her dad while Jongin does the same. He can’t help but feel excited whenever he sees the brunet running up to them. More awkward smiles and shy glances and Jongin feels his heart beating like it never has before.

“Where does your dad usually go?” Jongin asks. He and Miyoung are waiting at the bottom step once again but now Jongin really wants to know where Kyungsoo runs off to during this time of day.

“I don’t know the name,” Miyoung says, forcing Jongin’s heart to sink a little in disappointment. After a short pause, she continues, “But I know where it is.”

Oh. His heart slowly lifts back up.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we just walked there instead?”

She nods, quickly packing up her things and taking Jongin’s hand in her own. The dance instructor laughs at her boldness but holds on anyway before following her across the crosswalk and down the street.

The neighborhood still remains familiar as they continue to walk for ten minutes. Jongin glances through each shop window, hoping to see Kyungsoo inside, but eventually being disappointed in the end. He’s starting to doubt the little girl. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

“It’s right there,” Miyoung stops and points down the street. Jongin follows her gaze and stares at the community college located in front of him. “He’s a teacher?”

The little girl shakes her head, “No.”

“Then why are we—”

Miyoung continues dragging him down the block and they enter the school gates with ease. Jongin finds the front office and walks up to the countertop where a middle-aged woman was sitting behind a large computer. He clears his throat to gain her attention, cheeks growing hot before he asks, “Is Do Kyungsoo here?”

The woman nods, obviously suspicious with his question before pointing at a small building located down the college campus, “He’s in a classroom right now.”

Jongin thanks the desk clerk despite her lack of help and leads Miyoung to the building. He can still see students sitting inside the classrooms and he wonders if he can find Kyungsoo giving a lecture in front of the class.

Miyoung tugs on his hand and he glances down at her, “What?”

She spreads her arms wide, motioning for him to pick her up. He hesitates, bottom lip caught between his teeth before he rolls his eyes and scoops her into his arms. She’s not as heavy as he thought she would be. Plus, he needed an extra eye for Kyungsoo just in case he missed him.

They walk past classrooms, glancing through windows before Miyoung shouts happily and slams against the door.

“Quiet!” Jongin hisses, “You can’t be loud. They’re in class right now.”

“But I see dad!”

Jongin glances at the professor standing in front of the class, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “That’s not him—”

“He’s sitting over there,” Miyoung points at the back of the room and Jongin leans in closer, his forehead nearly pressed against the glass window. He ignores the odd glances from the students inside, instead focusing on the small brunet sitting in the back.

He can see Kyungsoo sitting in the back, legs fidgeting as he glances at the clock hanging in the back of the room. The brunet plays with the pencil between his fingers while biting his bottom lip, not aware of the two figures standing outside the classroom door.

Miyoung knocks against the window with her tiny fists. The majority of the class looks up at the small child waving frantically at the door and Jongin notices Kyungsoo's eyes widening in surprises when he sees Miyoung.

The door swings open and a middle-aged man steps out, "Can I help you with something?"

"N-no," Jongin mumbles, taking a step back. His cheeks turn into a light shade of red and he rubs the back of his neck, "We were just waiting for someone. She didn't mean to knock on the door." Behind the college professor, he can see Kyungsoo with his face buried in the palm of his hands. Another male sitting beside him elbows Kyungsoo and snickers when the latter hits him back.

"You can wait for as long as you want. Just don't disrupt my class."

"Sorry."

The door closes and class resumes back to their lecture. Jongin can see Kyungsoo glancing over at the window, cheeks red and fingers drumming against his desk. After a few minutes, the bell rings throughout the campus and Jongin takes a step back when he sees the students moving towards the door.

"What were the hell were you trying to do?!" Kyungsoo storms out of the classroom and punches Jongin against the arm, "Did you not know how pissed off my professor was?"

The younger male winces, setting Miyoung back down and she runs over to Kyungsoo, "She's the one who started it! If she didn't knock on the door, then none of this would've happened."

The brunet sighs and picks Miyoung up, "I guess I don't have to run all the way to the studio anymore." He pauses, biting on the inside of his cheek, "Sorry for yelling at you earlier. My friend kept on teasing me about this so I was kinda pissed."

"It's nothing," Jongin says, reaching over to ruffle Miyoung's hair, "I'm just glad Miyoung knew where she was going, or else we would've been lost by then."

Kyungsoo lets out a small laugh and Jongin's heart flutters at the sweet melody.

"Do you want to come over to our apartment for a bit?"

Jongin freezes, unsure whether he heard the question correctly or not, "You're inviting me to your place?"

"Yeah, unless you have other things to do," Kyungsoo shrugs. He glances back at Miyoung, "She's been talking about her dance teacher all week. I think she's starting to have a crush on you."

Jongin fights back a smile. Instead, he nods and follows beside Kyungsoo.

"You never told me you were still going to school," Jongin mentions. He's not sure whether he should talk about Kyungsoo's personal life, but it was better than not talking at all.

Kyungsoo blushes, "Yeah, I still am." He doesn't continue on, the awkward tension still lingering in the air. "How's Miyoung doing in her dance class?"

"She's probably one of my best students. I've never seen anyone so eager to dance in my entire life."

The way Kyungsoo stares at Miyoung has his stomach doing an abnormal amount of somersaults. Their shoulders brush together as they walk and a thought comes to Jongin.

"That day..." Jongin starts off. He hesitates, but Kyungsoo is waiting for him to finish his sentence, "When I bumped into you. Were you crying?"

The shorter male falls silent. It takes two minutes for him to speak, and when he does, his voice barely comes up as a whisper, "Yeah, I was crying."

"Oh," Jongin awkwardly shoves his hands inside his pockets, "Did anything happen?"

Kyungsoo bites on the inside of his cheek. He holds onto Miyoung a little tighter, bringing in all the warmth from her body just to remind him that she was still here. "I got fired from my job."

The dance instructor stops, looking over at Kyungsoo with eyebrows raised, "Really?"

"Yeah, they didn't think I was good enough because I always arrived late, like how I always take forever to come to the dance studio, so they thought it'd be best if they let me go."

Kyungsoo's shoulders sink to the ground and he exhales softly. All of a sudden, he was starting to feel tired. The stress of trying to find another job in a short amount of time was excruciating, but luckily Baekhyun was able to get him a spot at a local bar. The pay was decent — not as much as his other job — but it was better than not having one at all. "But it's fine now. My friend found one for me, so I don't have to worry."

Jongin has the sudden urge to take Kyungsoo's hand in his, but he doesn't. He clenches his right hand into a tight fist and keeps on staring at the road ahead. It seems as if Kyungsoo was trying to convince himself rather than Jongin.

 

\---

 

"How many more stairs do we have to take?" Jongin pants out. They're almost on the sixth floor and Miyoung is frantically running up the steps while Jongin is having trouble trying to catch up.

"We live on the eigth," Kyungsoo laughs. He grabs into Jongin's arm when the younger trips on the next step, "We can sit down and take a break if you want—"

"No!" Jongin shouts and Kyungsoo jumps. He takes several deep breaths, shaking his head, "No, it's fine. I can keep going. Do you guys do this everyday?"

The older nods. He shouts for Miyoung to slow down and takes Jongin's hand in his, "You'll eventually get used to it. And plus, you're a dancer. Shouldn't you have amazing leg muscles or something?"

"I didn't have to climb eight flights of stairs," Jongin snaps, but Kyungsoo only chuckles in response, fingers laced together as he drags him higher and higher up the building.

"Don't they have elevators?" Jongin whimpers. The higher they go up the stairs, the more humid the air becomes, the dance teacher's shirt sticking against sweaty skin.

The brunet nods, "Yeah, they do, but it stopped working like ten years ago and the landlady doesn't have enough money to get it fixed."

"I'll personally pay for the repairman," Jongin pants out, "Just tell me how much."

"Wow, really? Now we don't have to walk up these stupid stairs anymore." Kyungsoo quietly laughs at the younger's red, sweaty face and he promises to offer Jongin a glass of water once they reach the apartment.

Jongin practically crawls up the last flight of stairs, completely out of breath while Miyoung and Kyungsoo hurry to their apartment.

He follows behind Kyungsoo, squinting his eyes when he sees something taped against the door. "What is that?" For a second, he can see the words 'rent overdue'—

"Nothing," Kyungsoo grabs onto it and stuffs it into his pocket, “People usually go around the building and post advertisements on the door when no one answers. I’ll just throw it away when we get inside.”

He searches through his bag for his keys. Once he unlocks the door, Miyoung frantically runs inside and tosses her backpack onto the living room floor. Even Kyungsoo takes off his jacket and throws it onto the couch, also exhausted from walking up the long flight of stairs, “You still need water?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Water would be nice,” Jongin mumbles, his hand automatically lifting up to rub the back of his neck. He follows Kyungsoo to the kitchen and silently watches as the latter rummages through the cabinets for a glass and fills it with water.

Jongin looks around the small, cramped room. Most of the decorations on the wall are photos of Miyoung and Kyungsoo, and as he glances through each picture, he sees a person that catches his eye.

"Is this Miyoung's mom?"

From the kitchen, Kyungsoo stills. He slowly walks over to Jongin, picking at the crinkled photo where the younger was pointing at. "Yeah, that's her."

"She looks kinda like Miyoung," Jongin says. He looks back up at the brunet, "But I think you and Miyoung have the same eyes."

"A lot of people say that," Kyungsoo tilts his head, his thumb smoothing out the wrinkles on the picture. "I haven't spoken to her in almost five years."

"What happened?"

Kyungsoo grips onto the small photo until his knuckles turn white. He sighs, taping the picture back to the wall, "We just had a really bad fight, and then the next day, she just packed her bags and left. I tried calling her, her friends, her parents, but she disconnected her phone and they refused to let me speak to her. She didn't even want to talk to Miyoung anymore."

The younger man stares at the photo in complete silence. The three of them looked happy in the picture, a young Miyoung sitting on the top of Kyungsoo's shoulders while her mom is smiling at the camera. He wonders what it would've been like if they were still together. Would Kyungsoo struggle to pay his bills and show up on time for school and work, or would he be happy?

"She left because you guys had a fight," Jongin mutters softly. He pauses, waiting to see the discomfort in Kyungsoo's eyes but there is none. "What were you two fighting about?"

It takes a moment for Kyungsoo to finally answer, and when he does, his fingers are starting to tremble. He can't even look at Jongin in the eye so he opts for staring at the ground instead. A wave of emotions crash into him and Kyungsoo suddenly feels nauseous. It's been five years and not once has his ex-girlfriend called, nor has she ever sent anything regarding Miyoung's birthday. So many times Kyungsoo has attempted to call and e-mail to her, asking whether she was going to show up for Miyoung's first day of school or dance performance, but he never gets a response. It was like she never existed, a complete figment of his imagination.

"When I was in high school," Kyungsoo almost wants to stop talking. Baekhyun was the only person who knew about Kyungsoo's past. Was it really worth it to tell Jongin? The younger male is staring directly at him, as if nothing else mattered except for Kyungsoo. Their shoulders are touching and it's quiet enough to hear the sound of their steady breathing.

Kyungsoo starts over, "When I was in high school, I had my first boyfriend." He clenches his jaw, expecting Jongin to walk out the door right when he said that. But to his surprise, Jongin was still there.

"I know it's weird, but I wasn't sure about my interests so I just wanted to test it out. His name was Hyunsik and we dated for a few years. Things were really serious until he had to move to the states to study or something. We kept a long distance relationship for two to three months, but after that, he thought it was best if we spent a bit of time to ourselves and maybe look for other people."

"I met her in my senior year of high school and we went out for a year, did some reckless things, and then we had Miyoung." Kyungsoo wipes his eyes with the back of his sleeve. All these memories he had once thrown out were coming back to him again. Despite the summer heat, Kyungsoo is practically shivering, arms folded across his chest. He hated feeling weak and lonely, especially in front of Jongin. A large part of him was locked and stored away, never to be revealed again. The young dancer beside him was the reason why the hidden chest was slowly being unlocked.

"I thought everything was going to be okay. We were planning to get married and possibly move somewhere nice, but then Hyunsik showed up and—" Kyungsoo stops. Before he knows it, he's starting to cry. "I-I don't know. All these feelings just came rushing in when I saw him and we hooked up that night. The guilt was eating me alive. I had to tell Eunmi, so I did— I can't explain the look on her face at all, but it was just horrible—"

"You don't have to finish," Jongin interrupts, "You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to. It's not my place ask you all these questions about your personal life. Plus, I think if Miyoung saw you crying right now, she'd probably burst into tears."

The older male laughs, wiping away the wetness of his cheeks, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Kyungsoo takes several deep breaths, fingers running through his hair, "I totally forgot about Miyoung. Hopefully she didn't slip and get hurt while we were out here."

Jongin follows him to the small room. Kyungsoo peeks inside and sees Miyoung on the bed already fast asleep. He closes the door with a soft click, "She's sleeping. Poor girl must have been so tired walking around the entire day."

Kyungsoo moves back to the kitchen, "You hungry? I might have some leftovers. The landlady usually gives it to us every once in a while."

"No, I'm fine." Jongin replies, "... Actually, I made plans with a couple of friends tonight and it's getting late."

"Oh," Kyungsoo tries to mask the disappointment. Of course; unlike him, most people have plans to do, friends and family to see. "I'll walk you to the lobby."

"That's not a good idea. There's eight flights of stairs, meaning you'll have to walk sixteen just to get back here," Jongin laughs. He grabs his bag and walks over to the front door with Kyungsoo following close behind. In all honesty, he wants to spend more time with Kyungsoo, but he feels like he's invading into the man's personal life. He didn't want to be seen as annoying. Plus, Sehun and Yixing keep on asking where he goes off to after teaching his dance class.

"Maybe we can hang out here again sometime," Jongin suggests and Kyungsoo nods quietly, socks shuffling against the floor until they reach the door. "I mean, if that's what you want."

"Yeah, I'd like that." The shorter male smiles. He opens the door while Jongin puts on his shoes.

Jongin becomes a confused mess once he steps out of the apartment. Kyungsoo is lingering outside with him, his large eyes staring up at Jongin like he was waiting for something. But Jongin is an idiot and he can't debate whether he should hug Kyungsoo, give a bro fist, or shake the older man's hand.

"Um, I—" Jongin rubs the back of his neck, "I'll see you tomorrow or something?" He turns around, getting ready to walk down the horrendous flight of stairs before Kyungsoo calls out his name and he stops.

The younger turns back around, "Yeah?"

"M-Miyoung's having a small birthday party soon and I was wondering if... you'd like to come? I know it's really cheesy and all, but I'm pretty sure she'd be super ecstatic to see her dance teacher for her birthday." Kyungsoo's mouth begins to run off on its own, "But I totally understand if you can't come because of friends and whatnot, but—"

"Hey, Kyungsoo," Jongin cuts in. Kyungsoo stops, cheeks the color of scarlet. "I'll come to the party. Just, um, we can exchange our numbers so you can text me the details and stuff."

"Yeah, sounds great."

 

\---

 

"Hello? Earth to Kim Jongin."

"Huh?" Jongin looks up from the screen of his phone and blinks at his two friends sitting in front of him. Despite the loud atmosphere, everything around him seems almost like a blur.

Sehun eyes the phone in Jongin's hand, "Who are you talking to?"

"No one. I was just looking at something— Hey!"

Yixing stares at the screen, then tosses it over to Sehun. The youngest of the three glances at the text message, eyebrows furrowing, "Who's Kyungsoo?"

"I told you before, it's no one. Now give me back my phone."

Sehun hovers the electronic device over his glass of water, "Tell us who this Kyungsoo person is or the phone gets it."

Jongin rolls his eyes at his best friend's immaturity, slamming his back against the leather booth, "I met him a few weeks ago."

"Where?"

He tries not to glare at Sehun while Yixing is snickering in amusement beside him. How they became his best friends... Jongin really has no clue.

"He's the dad of one of my students—"

"Ugh, you like a forty year old man?" Sehun stares at him in disgust. Honestly, why couldn't he just shut up and listen.

"Can you let me finish my sentence for once? First off, he's not forty, he's only a year older than us, Sehun, and second of all, I don't like him. I— I really don't know." Jongin buries his face in the palm of his hands, "I don't know what to think of him. He's stressing over so much lately and I don't want to annoy him."

Both Sehun and Yixing exchange a blank stare, turning back to Jongin.

"Dude, are you sure you don't like him?" Yixing asks. He's not as pushy as Sehun but the question has Jongin cringing. He shrugs, planting his face on the table despite the waitress giving him a nasty glare when she sets down their orders.

"That's the problem. I don't know."

It takes a moment for the two to process everything. Sehun is the one who eventually talks.

"If someone asks you if you like a person and your answer is 'I don't know', you might as well just say yes."

 

\---

 

Jongin paces back and forth in front of Kyungsoo's apartment while holding a large box containing Miyoung's birthday present. Kyungsoo even told him not to bring a present, but he still did. He's not even sure if Miyoung will like it or not, but his older sister suggested buying a new tutu and he really had no other options.

Judging by the amount of shoes stacked outside, the party must have already started. His phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out, cheeks turning red when he receives a text from Kyungsoo asking where he was.

Jongin lifts his right hand and knocks on the door. His heart begins to race when he hears footsteps running up to the front.

A couple of kids open the door to his surprise and he recognizes all of them to be his students. The girls all scream, surrounding Jongin and grabbing at anything they could reach.

"Girls! Don't do that!" Kyungsoo squeezes his way through and shoos them into the apartment. He smiles weakly at Jongin, "I thought you weren't going to show up."

"Of course I was. Um," He shows his present, a box with mutated wrapping paper and a sloppy ribbon (thanks to Sehun and Yixing). "I got you a gift."

"I told you you didn't have to."

"I really wanted to," Jongin kicks at the ground with one foot, "Plus, I would feel really bad if I was invited to a party and didn't bring anything with me."

Kyungsoo smiles. It was a genuine smile this time. One that has Jongin's heart racing and his fingers gripping onto the box. With the colorful streamers in Kyungsoo's hair and the painted-on whiskers, he looks even more attractive.

"All your students are dying to meet you, so you should come on in," Kyungsoo steps to the side for Jongin to walk through, taking the box out of the younger's hands.

He recognizes a lot of people in the party. Most of them are the moms that usually sit and watch at the dance studio, others he has never seen before in his life.

"Do you want some cake?" Kyungsoo asks, "We have... what's left of it. I swear the kids are going to run around screaming at the top of their lungs for the next couple of hours."

"I'm not that hungry. I already had a huge—"

"I made it myself." Kyungsoo smiles.

Jongin stops, then proceeds to nod. While Kyungsoo runs off to the kitchen, the kids wrap their arms around his legs, excited to see their dance teacher outside of class. He can see why most of the adults are resting in the living room and away from all the chaos, the children frantically screaming through their sugar-high.

"Hey, weren't you the one who kept on knocking at our classroom door?"

Jongin turns to the voice and sees a man staring down at him. He was the one elbowing Kyungsoo when the professor opened the door.

"That wasn't me," Jongin grumbles, "That was Miyoung and I told her not to, but she still did it."

"Oh, Miyoung, you gotta love her," The man laughs. He holds out his hand, "I'm Baekhyun, Kyungsoo's classmate and best friend."

Jongin takes it, wincing in pain when Baekhyun shakes his hand a bit too hard, "Kim Jongin. I'm the dance teacher."

"Oh, Kim Jongin. Kyungsoo talks a lot about you."

His heart suddenly lurches, "Really? He does?"

"Yeah, he always says how nice and attractive you are. Seriously, why don't you guys just—"

"Baek," Kyungsoo interrupts, holding a styrofoam plate of a red velvet cake, "Why are you feeding my guests with lies?"

"It's what I do," Baekhyun shrugs. He grabs the plastic fork out of Kyungsoo's hand and takes a bite out of the cake he was holding, "Could use a little more frosting."

"Shut up," Kyungsoo punches him against the stomach. He rolls his eyes when Baekhyun walks away and hands Jongin the plate, "I'm really sorry about that. Maybe I should go back and get another piece."

"I'm cool with this piece," Jongin says (as long as he has more time to spend with Kyungsoo). "If you want, we can share half and half?"

"I literally ate like four pieces already, but since you ask, okay," Kyungsoo sits down beside Jongin and hands the latter a plastic fork, "Is the party too insane for you?"

The younger hesitates before he takes the first bite. He's actually not a very big fan of cake or anything sugary, but this one has him humming in satisfaction.

"Good?" Kyungsoo asks.

Jongin nods rather than answering and takes another bite. He'd look like an idiot talking with his mouth full of cake.

"I'm glad to hear that. I slaved all night trying to make the perfect cake with Baekhyun constantly annoying me and Miyoung asking when I'm going back to bed with her, but I finally finished it in time." Kyungsoo rests his chin in the palm of his hand, "Thanks for coming, Jongin. It really means a lot to me— us, me and Miyoung, I mean."

Jongin looks away and finishes the rest of his cake, hoping Kyungsoo wouldn't be able to see the blush blooming in his cheeks.

"Oh, and before I forget," Kyungsoo searches around the living room and picks a small, cardboard hat. He places it over Jongin's head, pulling the strap until it feels snug underneath the younger's him. He bites his bottom lip to hold in his laughter, "You look really good, Jongin."

As payback, Jongin finds another hat and pulls it over Kyungsoo's head. The brunet laughs, playing with the small tassel at the end of the hat, "I look like an idiot with this thing on." Kyungsoo's lips are curved into a bright smile and Jongin notices the crinkles at the corner of his eyes for the first time. If only he could smile more often.

"No, you look perfect."

 

\---

 

Gifts are unwrapped and the rest of the cake is finished (thanks to Jongin and the rest of the children). Jongin is even having a fun time himself, mainly because of Baekhyun who keeps on pulling him to the side to make snide remarks and funny comments. Kyungsoo says a final goodbye to the last guest, closing the door shut and sighing heavily. He throws his head back and lets out a frustrated groan, "I hate cleaning up."

"Hey, at least I'm helping you," Jongin pulls out a black trash bag from the kitchen sink and starts tossing styrofoam cups and plates away.

"You can go home if you want," Kyungsoo says. He runs fingers through his hair and cringes when he pulls out party streamers and a piece of a deflated balloon.

"And let you suffer through this mess on your own? Not a chance," Jongin continues picking up the piles of trash in the kitchen, slowly moving to the dining room, "Where's Miyoung anyway?"

Kyungsoo points over to the little girl sleeping on the couch, "She got knocked out like twenty minutes ago."

"Poor girl couldn't handle all her juice pouches," Jongin teases, "She's going to get a massive hangover by tomorrow morning."

Kyungsoo smiles, scooping Miyoung into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom, "I have to put her to bed. Do you mind cleaning up without me for a bit?"

Jongin spends the next five minutes rummaging through drawers and cabinets just in case there was trash hidden somewhere. He moves over to the living room and starts searching through the cushions of the couch. He feels a piece of paper and pulls it out, expecting it to be more trash but instead finding a sealed envelope with 'rent overdue' stamped on the front. Jongin slowly opens it, pulling out the sheet of paper until he sees the note written from the owner of the building. Kyungsoo had two weeks to pay his rent or else he would get evicted—

"What are you looking at?"

Jongin jumps when he hears the voice from behind him and turns around to see Kyungsoo staring at the letter in his hands. "Uh, I—"

Kyungsoo rips the paper out of Jongin's hand and crumples it into a tight ball, shoving it into the plastic bag, "It's nothing. Just forget you saw it."

The sudden change in his attitude has Jongin completely breathless. What happened to the happy, smiling Kyungsoo ten minutes ago?

"Kyungsoo, how can I forget you've been late with your rent for the past month?"

The shorter folds his arms across his chest, "I don't walk to talk about it."

"If it's money you need, I'll be happy to lend you some—"

"I don't want your money," Kyungsoo snaps, "I'm doing perfectly fine on my own."

"Then why are you getting so upset?"

Kyungsoo is trembling, refusing to look at Jongin in the eye. "I don't..." He can't even finish his own sentence. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to have a fun time for Miyoung's birthday party. How can a single sheet of paper change all of that?

Jongin sets the plastic bag down and takes a step closer to Kyungsoo. "Just tell me what’s wrong.”

The urge to reach out and grab Kyungsoo’s hand lingers in his fingertips and, like all the other times before, he doesn’t.

“I don’t want you to think we’re only friends because of how much money you have,” Kyungsoo says softly. He looks away in embarrassment and snatches the plastic bag, dragging it across the floor while picking up random styrofoam plates and cups.

"Is that what you really think?" Jongin whispers, "You think I'm hanging out with you just because I feel pity?" Anger starts to bubble inside of his chest. How could Kyungsoo say something like that? "I only hang out with someone if I like them, and I like you, Kyungsoo."

A lot. Jongin doesn't say that small detail out loud. It was best to keep it to himself until the time was right. But when exactly was the right time?

Kyungsoo looks up at Jongin, cheeks flushed before he mumbles something about cleaning up the rest of the trash.

"So," Jongin decides to change the subject, "You and Baekhyun are really close?"

"Yeah, since middle school pretty much."

Despite Baekhyun's annoying and immature personality, he's the only person whom Kyungsoo can trust with his life. They've been through thick and thin, and whenever something terrible happens in Kyungsoo's life, his best friend is always there to cheer him up.

Jongin cleans through the small bookshelf next to the television and pulls out a stack of DVDs, "Pororo. I haven't seen this show ever since I was a little kid."

"Trust me, when you have a kid of your own, you'll know every line of each episode by heart," Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, "Miyoung threw a tantrum when I told her I wouldn't buy all the seasons on DVD and when I didn’t, she refused to speak to me for a week."

Jongin opens one case, raking over scratch-free disc and the colorful brochure of characters tucked inside, “Wanna watch?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Does it look like I’m kidding?” The younger male pops out the disc and rushes over to the disc player, sliding it into the slot and turning on the television. He gestures for Kyungsoo to sit next to him and grabs onto the remote, “C’mon, a few episodes won’t hurt.”

 

\---

 

Kyungsoo groans, stretching his arms and legs out before resting his head back against the soft cushion. His muscles are starting to cramp and Kyungsoo winces when his foot begins to fall asleep.

He shakes it repeatedly, stomping his numb foot against the couch until he hears a soft grumble from underneath him, then a quiet snore. Kyungsoo immediately jumps off the cushion, completely startled to see Jongin sleeping on the couch. His face heats up when he realizes he’d been sleeping on the dance instructor for the entire night, but all thoughts are tossed aside when he glances up at the clock and sees it’s almost nine in the morning.

“Miyoung!” Kyungsoo cries out and jumps off of the couch. Jongin suddenly jolts awake, “What?”

“I totally forgot today’s Monday. She’s supposed to be at school by now. I have to wake her up—”

When he runs over to the kitchen, he wasn’t expecting for Miyoung to be standing on top of a small stool, stuffing papers and her lunchbox into her backpack. The little girl looks up at Kyungsoo, “Good morning.”

“... Morning, Miyoung,” Kyungsoo answers stiffly. He turns back to Jongin, the younger man just as surprised as he was. Kyungsoo rakes his fingers through his tangled hair, hands flattening out the wrinkles in his clothes, “Did you get up by yourself?”

She nods and hops off the stool, setting her backpack onto the ground and putting her jacket on.

“Wow, um, you did really good,” Kyungsoo scoops her into his arms and kisses her on the cheek, “Ready to go?”

He grabs her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. Kyungsoo suddenly remembers Jongin in the room, “Do you want to come with us?”

“Actually, I have a few things to do this morning.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Kyungsoo masks the disappointed look on his face and squeezes Miyoung tighter. They both slip on their shoes and he leads them out, locking the door behind him and stuffing his house key back inside his pocket. The two part once they reach the lobby and Kyungsoo gives one last glance at Jongin before the younger disappears around the corner.

 

\---

 

Jongin rushes into the coffee shop completely out of breath. He searches around the room until he finds the right person sitting next to the window while stirring their drink.

“Sorry I’m late,” Jongin pants out and pulls out the empty chair. Once he settles down, a waitress comes by to take his order and quickly leaves.

“You better be,” Baekhyun leans back against his seat and folds his arms across his chest. He eyes the younger man’s disheveled state, “What happened to you?”

“I overslept. I was at Kyungsoo’s—” Jongin clamps his mouth shut, cheeks heating up when he sees the smirk on Baekhyun’s face, “It’s not what you think. I was helping him clean—”

“Uh huh, okay.” Baekhyun waves it off nonchalantly, taking a sip of his drink. “You don’t have to act so weird about Kyungsoo. I mean, we’re doing this for him, right?”

Jongin suddenly relaxes his shoulders and nods quietly. The mention of Kyungsoo’s name has his heart skipping both in excitement and anxiety. “Yeah, for Kyungsoo.”

 

\---

 

Kyungsoo sprints to work right after he drops Miyoung off to school. He rushes inside the building and takes off his coat, “I’m really sorry about being late. I promise I won’t do that again—”

“It’s fine,” The manager says, placing a hand on his shoulder, “By the way, you should take a day off.”

The brunet freezes. His face begins to pale and he stutters out, “A day off?” He’s not firing me, is he?

The older man nods, “You’ve been doing really well so far, so I thought it’d be best to let you have a day off tomorrow. You can come back tomorrow — on time, I hope.”

“B-but—”

“You’ll still be paid.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo closes his mouth, biting his bottom lip before he points his thumb towards the door, “I guess I’ll be going then?”

“You should hurry,” The manager ushers him out of the door. It’s the first time Kyungsoo has ever seen him with a wide smile on his face and it’s starting to scare him. “By the way, since you’ve been doing such a good job, I’d like to give you this.” He grabs Kyungsoo’s wrist palm facing up and places a stack of money in his hand, “Hope to see you tomorrow.”

Kyungsoo stares at the money with his jaw hanging open. He glances back at the manager, expecting for him to say he was joking but he doesn’t. “Are you really going to give me this?” Okay, Kyungsoo thinks to himself, things were getting really weird around here.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo bows his head and shuffles over to the door. He takes a deep breath once he makes it outside, a hand placed against his chest to feel his racing heart. He shouldn’t have offered it in the first place, but at the same time, he had late bills to pay and maybe he can take Miyoung out to dinner for once instead of ordering cheap take-out and ramen noodles.

Clutching the money in his hands, he rushes back to the apartment building, a huge weight suddenly lifted off of his shoulders.

“Mrs. Kim?” Kyungsoo frantically knocks on the door and counts the money in his hands; it was the exact amount he needed to pay off his overdue rent. He knocks once more until the door finally opens and a frail woman peeks out, squinting up at Kyungsoo before her eyes widen, “Kyungsoo, shouldn’t you be at work right now?”

“I did, but they gave me a day off and— Mrs. Kim, I can pay back the rent that was overdue. I have the money right here.”

The woman blinks up at him, “Honey, the rent was already paid for yesterday.”

“... What?” Kyungsoo starts rummaging through his bag and pulls out a small envelope, opening out the letter, “ I haven’t paid for this yet.”

“I know, but your friend did,” She smiles.

“Baekhyun?” The younger male asks.

The landlady shakes her head and steps back inside her room, leaving Kyungsoo to stand in complete confusion. After a few seconds, she comes back holding a small letter and gives it to Kyungsoo, “For you.”

Kyungsoo reaches out and grabs onto it, his fingers trembling when he opens it. He doesn’t find money or eviction letters inside. Instead, he sees a golden ticket and takes it out, “What is this?”

“Your friend told me to give this to you.”

Kyungsoo flips the ticket over, seeing the words that were written on the back of the golden paper.

“Seoul Arts Dance Studio proudly presents a dance recital performed by the wonderful and talented beginners’ class,” Kyungsoo reads out loud, “This is a special VIP ticket, so please attend the performance tonight at seven pm.” At the corner of the ticket, he sees Miyoung’s handwriting — a messy “Hi, daddy” written in a red crayon.

“It sounds pretty important,” The landlady says, staring at the golden paper in Kyungsoo’s hand, “Are you going to see your daughter perform?”

It makes him feel guilty admitting that he’s never attended any of Miyoung’s dance recitals before. Because of school and work, he doesn’t exactly have the time to see her dance with her group of friends, but now that his work is done for the day and he doesn’t need to attend classes until tomorrow, maybe this was the perfect time for him to see what Miyoung was capable of.

Slowly, Kyungsoo nods. The corner of his lips curl into an eager smile and he tucks the ticket safely into the pocket of his jacket.

 

\---

 

Seven in the evening comes a lot sooner than he had expected for it to be. Now he’s sitting in the front row of the auditorium while holding a bouquet of flowers, his heart racing a mile per minute as the room starts to fill up with more and more people. The red curtain is still drawn on the stage, but there’s a small opening where he can see tiny feet scurrying about, trying to perfect the small details of their routine before it was time to go on stage. Although Miyoung was the one going up stage, Kyungsoo has never felt more nervous in his life. He bounces his right foot, bottom lip caught between his teeth until he feels a heavy flick against the side of his head.

“Ow,” Kyungsoo looks up to see Baekhyun smiling at him, making himself comfortable in the seat right next to his. “Baekhyun, what are you doing here?”

“Seeing Miyoung perform, duh,” Baekhyun answers like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He eyes the bouquet of flowers in Kyungsoo’s arms, “Are those for me?”

“Um, no. These are for Miyoung.”

“What about Jongin?”

Kyungsoo draws a blank, “What do you mean?”

“He’s going to perform with them up on stage too. You’re not going to give him a bouquet of flowers?”

“I-I didn’t know he was going to perform—” He stands up from his seat, “There’s some time left before the performance starts. I’ll just go over to the nearest floral shop and buy a bouquet of flowers.”

“Too late now,” Baekhyun points at the stage. The lights are beginning to dim and most of the people are quieting down. A person in the back shouts for Kyungsoo to sit and the latter blushes, quickly sinking back into his seat while his best friend snickers in amusement.

“By the way,” Kyungsoo hisses, “Who paid for the rent that was due—”

“Sh, it’s starting.” Baekhyun presses a finger to his lips and Kyungsoo falls back to the couch.

Once the curtain opens, Kyungsoo immediately sees Miyoung standing right in the front. He fails to hide the idiotic smile on his face when the music starts to play and the class starts on their practiced routine. The entire audience is staring in awe, some snapping away with their cameras while others are recording the performance just so they wouldn’t be able to miss anything.

Miyoung doesn’t miss a single step and Kyungsoo can’t seem to look away either. His fingers tighten against the flower bouquet in his arms and all of a sudden the music slows down to a stop and a tall figure steps onto the stage. Most of the teenage girls sitting in the audience scream out for Jongin; more cameras begin to flash and Jongin is now standing around the center of the group while Kyungsoo is trying to hold back a really obnoxious laugh because how did he manage to fit in those tights.

With Kyungsoo being so distracted by Jongin’s effortless dancing and Miyoung’s bright smile, he forgets to notice the entire performers bowing towards the audience and the red curtains closing. Kyungsoo quickly stands up from his chair when he notices the majority of the guests turning to the exit doors, but when he starts walking towards the end of the aisle, a hand grabs him by the wrist.

“Whoa, where are you going?” Baekhyun asks.

“Shouldn’t we all go outside until the performers come out?”

“Well, yeah,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, “But we know the dance instructor, so basically we have a shot of going in the back without getting in trouble.”

“But Baek—”

“Don’t you want to see Miyoung?”

“Of course, but—”

“What about Jongin?”

The mention of his name has Kyungsoo’s heart leaping out of his chest. His eyes dart away to avoid the obvious smirk on Baekhyun’s face and he mutters a stubborn ‘Fine’ before being dragged to the backstage area by his best friend.

“Are you even sure about this?” Kyungsoo hisses behind Baekhyun. The older male walks casually up the stairs until they reach a closed door labeled ‘private’.

Baekhyun turns back to the younger, “Will you just relax? Just follow my lead and we’ll be inside.” He opens the door with ease and steps inside, dragging Kyungsoo with him and closing the door shut. Children dressed in costumes are scurrying around the entire area, make-up artists and costume designers packing up their materials into their bags.

Kyungsoo looks around in search for Miyoung and his shoulders sink when he can’t seem to find her, “Where is she?”

“Just keep on looking. We’ll see her— Hey!”

A security guard grabs them both by the elbows and he glares at the two of them. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, meeting with Baekhyun’s.

“Are you two associated with the backstage production?”

Baekhyun gives a weak smile to the man, “Well, you see… We’re technically part of it because his daughter is in the performance, so—”

“Baekhyun, Kyungsoo!”

They both turn their heads and Baekhyun breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Jongin walking towards them, eyeing the security guard who has them in his hands, “You can let them go. They’re my friends and they have the special access tickets. You don’t have to worry.”

The man hesitates before loosening his grip, leaving the three alone backstage.

“So,” Jongin wipes a bead of sweat against his forehead with a small towel, “How was it for you guys?”

“Couldn’t really tell from those tights,” Baekhyun wiggles his eyebrows.

Jongin shakes his head in embarrassment. “We all worked pretty hard on it. Miyoung’s probably passed out in the dressing room from practicing so much. You want to see her?”

That’s when Kyungsoo nods and Jongin lets out a soft laugh. He mumbles, “Follow me”, and leads them through the narrow corridors. Eventually they stop in front of a dressing room and Jongin steps inside, a swarm of screaming toddlers running up to him and hugging his legs. Once they all disperse, they follow Jongin inside.

“She’s sleeping over there.” He points at a small couch pressed up against a wall.

Kyungsoo slowly sinks onto the couch, brushing away the strands of hair from her forehead before she starts rubbing her eyes. She looks up at Kyungsoo before quickly sitting up, “Did you see me dance?”

“Yes, and you were perfect,” Kyungsoo ruffles her already-messy hair, “Get your things. I’m taking you home in about a few minutes.”

“You’re leaving already?” Jongin asks. He fidgets awkwardly, playing with his thumbs, “I-I was wondering if we could go out together tonight. Like go grab something to eat, if you want or… It depends on you really.”

“Sure, if Baekhyun wants to come with us—”

“Nope, I’m too tired and I’m already broke,” Baekhyun grabs Miyoung by the hand once she has everything and leads her out the door, “I’m taking Miyoung home.”

“What? But Jongin wants you to come.”

“Actually, I—” Jongin rubs the back of his neck, “I was thinking just… you and me. Is that okay?”

Kyungsoo hesitates. He sees Miyoung yawning, rubbing her tired eyes before Baekhyun carries her into his arms. How bad could it possibly be? It was just him and Jongin — two friends.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Kyungsoo nods. Jongin is positively beaming when he sees the brunet nodding and they both say goodbye to Baekhyun, Kyungsoo handing over the house keys and the bouquet of flowers.

“Ready?” Jongin asks before the brunet nods. He steps outside of the building and hums at the cool summer breeze, Kyungsoo following along beside him.

 

\---

 

“So, what about you?”

“Hm?” Kyungsoo snaps out of his daze when he hears the younger’s voice.

Jongin lets out a small laugh, their shoulders bumping against each other as they walk down the sidewalk. “You never told me what you thought about tonight’s performance. Based on your opinion, how was it?”

Kyungsoo clucks his tongue, lifting his chin up to look at the black sky. It’s already ten in the evening and the streets are still filled with life, neon signs flashing bright colors and the loud chatter of conversations ringing in the air. After a second, he looks back at Jongin, “It was really great.”

“You sure? You can critique my work, Soo. I need you to give me feedback so I can improve on my dance.”

“I’m serious, Jongin. It was perfect. Seeing Miyoung smiling while dancing onstage, that’s the best thing I could ever ask for, and I’m glad you’re her dance instructor.”

Jongin quickly coughs into the back of his hand as he looks at a nearby window display, obviously hiding his embarrassment.

“By the way,” Kyungsoo says. He clenches and unclenches his fingers, “Did you… help me pay for my rent?”

The younger’s footsteps slowly falls behind and Kyungsoo has to stop for Jongin to catch up with him, “Did you?”

Jongin reaches up to rub the back of his neck, “Me and Baekhyun, we both came up with it. It was a surprise for you and Miyoung, but I knew how much you didn’t like owing people money, so I wasn’t sure if I should tell you.”

The way the young dance instructor awkwardly shifts his feet and plays with his fingers has the corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth lifting up into a warm smile. The butterflies in his stomach feels bizarre and unusual, but Kyungsoo actually likes it. Because the person standing right in front of him was the reason behind the stupid feeling in his stomach and the weird tingle in his body that makes his toes curl and his fingers clench.

“So,” Jongin clears his throat, “Are you mad? Because I really don’t want you to be.”

After a moment, Kyungsoo shakes his head, “No, I’m not mad. Why would I? I’m just— It was an odd day. A lot of weird things are happening and I really don’t know what to expect.” But Kyungsoo has to admit that experiencing weird events sends a thrill in his life. Everyday it was going to school, taking care of Miyoung, and work, but now there are things that make his heart race and his cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Maybe having weird events going through your life was a good thing.

Jongin smiles, his eyes brightening at the realization that Kyungsoo wasn’t mad at him and his plan actually worked.

“So where are we going?” Kyungsoo asks as they continue walking. He notices a lot more couples walking down the streets, hands laced together and smiles adorning every face. His fingers itch for a hand to hold as well, especially the one right next to his.

“To be honest, I really have no idea,” Jongin laughs, but then he quiets down, “I just like spending time with you.”

“Me too,” Kyungsoo agrees. His voice is quiet, almost shy when he says it.

Jongin stops walking, feet planted firmly on the ground before he calls out the brunet’s name. Kyungsoo stops as well, eyes wide and confused because this was the second time they were stopping.

“I-I know you have a lot on your plate—with Miyoung, and work, and everything—but I was wondering if… you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

The older blinks, “Go out?”

“Um, yeah, like one a… date. Y’know, those things that couples do.” Jongin coughs into the back of his hand, “I’ve liked you for a long time, Kyungsoo, and I still do. Both you and Miyoung mean the world to me, and… I really want to spend the rest of my life walking Miyoung to your school and peeking through the windows in your classroom. I want to take you out to restaurants and pay for the bill even when you tell me that you have the money. I just— I want you, I really do.”

Kyungsoo holds his breath when Jongin cups his face into his hands and pulls him in for a kiss. It’s soft and sweet, a soft press of their lips and Kyungsoo can feel himself practically floating in the air.

The shorter male tries not to look too disappointed when Jongin finally pulls away, the latter laughing in embarrassment before he holds out his hand, palm facing up in front of Kyungsoo, “Let’s go?”

Kyungsoo really wants it. He wants to see Jongin and Miyoung standing outside the door while he finishes his essay in class with Baekhyun snickering beside him. He wants to see Jongin and Miyoung practicing their dance routine in the middle of the living room. He wants to hold Jongin’s hand, he wants to kiss him on the lips, he wants to cuddle with him when he feels lonely and Miyoung is still at school. He wants joy in his life, a pick-me-up in his daily routine.

Kyungsoo looks up at Jongin and takes his hand, filling in the empty spaces between his fingers and his heart.

 

 


End file.
